Surely, You're My World
by TalamhBlathanna
Summary: Jacob Keenan's encounter with Talamh. -Random, bored.-
1. You're Everything

So it's my first day in Talamh...

This place smells like flowers. Well...duh, Jacob. This is Talamh Blathanna after all. The ship docked, I hopped off.

"Ouuu!~" Sam clung to me that day, I think she was afraid of getting lost. "This place is so pretty, Jakey!~"

"Yea...it is." I looked around, it was a clean looking place. I assume England really helped clean this place up since he kicked Ireland out.

Yup, this land is mine now. A beautiful piece of land set on the west coast of Ireland. Maybe that's too much responsibility for a 16 year old, but if I want to save this place, I guess I have to give up a lot of time to put all my effort into fixing this economy.

"Welcome, Mr. Keenan!~" I heard from the end of the dock.

I let the other passengers get by before I stopped in front of an old guy, holding out a big bouquet of flowers in front of me. "Uhh..."

The man shoved the flowers into my arms, and then pulled something from behind him. "Heh! This is little Talamh, isn't she just precious?"

I looked down.

My God was it-er...she... small.

She didn't even look like she was four feet. I have to say though, it-er...she...was adorable. I handed the flowers off to Sam, who stared at Talamh. "Hey there, little one."

She stared up at me, I don't think she really recognized me, though I had stopped a couple of bullies from picking on her only a few days ago. "Who..."

I tilt my head, confused. "Jacob Keenan." I held my hand out. "I'm your new leader."

She must have felt comfortable after I smiled, because I saw a big smile come to her face after I reminded her who I was. (though she still had tears in her eyes, I assume she was just nervous. After all, I was nearly six feet tall. What would you think if someone came towering above you, telling you they were your new leader?) "Keenan...!" She smiled and took my hand, or at least tried.

She could only fit her hand around three of my fingers.

I almost died from the face she made, trying to fit her hand around mine. "Hah!" I held my arms out to her slowly.

She cautiously wrapped her arms around my neck as I leaned down to her.

She let me lift her up, holding her on my side. She adjusted herself, instead of having a leg on either side of me, she felt comfortable with her leg closed and held under my arm.

She stared at Sam, who was raising her brow to Talamh. "So...what, we're just supposed to call you Talamh?"

I saw the nation bury her face in my shoulder.

"Does she have a name?" I looked to the old guy.

He shrugged, he seemed to just want to show me to my home and leave. "I have no idea, honestly."

I rolled my eyes, nodding. "Fine..." I nudged at the nations head softly, and she looked at me with her watery crystal eyes. "I'm guna name you, Aine. After my mother."

"How about, in English, Jakey?"

I turned to Sam, and then nodded. "Fine," I smiled and touched my forehead to the nations. "Anya."

xXx

XxX

xXx

I stared up at the building that was being built. I wanted to make it just for Anya, but she insisted that I keep it.

What's a princess without her castle, right? That was she was, my princess. She was actually like a daughter to me, more than an employee, or country...

She even called me... "Daddy!"

I turned my head and smiled, falling to my knees with my arms open for her. "Anya!~"

She jumped up and hugged my neck tightly as I stood.

Arthur stared at me, he had a surly look on his face. "Hello, Keenan." He cleared his throat. "sorry, I was late again. We had a meeting, I was unable to pick Anya up until just a few minutes ago."

"Oh, don't worry about it Arthur."

"England..."

"Right..." I didn't know why, but England didn't like me calling him by his name. I didn't question it, I honestly didn't care.

I smiled and turned to Anya, kissing her head softly. "So, what'd ya find today, brea?"

"I found a couple seeds, papa, can we go plant them, please?"

She tugged on my pant leg, and I nodded. "i have to make my will video first, then we can go plant it, how's that sound?"

Anya nodded to me, smiling brightly, and England held his hand out as he knelt down to Anya. "I'll see you tomorrow, love."

Anya nodded and hugged her brother instead. "I love you England!~"

xXx

XxX

xXx

I felt something pulling at my nose. "Mnn...Sam, stop it..."

"Papa..."

My eyes shot open at the tiny voice. "Anya?" I rubbed my eyes and sat up quickly, looking to the side of my bed.

She was shivering, which brought me to two conclusions. She was cold...or scared. "Anya, what is it, what's wrong?"

"I had a bad dream..." She held her arms up.

I smiled, lifting her up from the floor as I kicked the blankets off of myself, careful not to wake Sam, sleeping on the other side. "Anya, it was just a dream, it can't hurt you. Even if it could, I would never allow it."

I flipped the switch on, walking into her room. She whimpered, clinging to me before I set her down. I looked down at her when she didn't let go of me. "Alright..." I sighed, scooting her over as I put myself in her bed. "But just for tonight. Sam's guna kill me."

She nodded, and crawled over me, grabbing a book from the nightstand, and then crawled back, holding the book out to me. "Wha...?"

_The Ugly Duckling_.

Anya really liked this story for some reason...

xXx

XxX

xXx

_I never knew how much a child could affect my life._


	2. In The Hollow Hand

I could tell how nervous he was, I won't say that he should be, but if I were him...I'd be just as nervous.

All he did was stand there, he didn't say a word. He just sobbed into the clothing of the lifeless body he was clutching so tightly and let his head hanging.

"_This is you're fault_," he choked, he caught my attention with those words. "_If you were so stubborn, if you had just...listened, you could have prevented all of this_."

"_Was it not you, who saw him as nothing more than a territory to begin with_?" It's funny, how I can recall this night so fondly. "_You, the one who dragged him away from the safety of his home. You, the one who got him tangled in the war which you started. You, are the murderer. The blood stains your hands, not mine.._"

"_Have you no soul? No Heart? Are you even human anymore_?"

"_There's a strong possibility I am not; however, that is no business of yours_."

With one swift motion I watched this man drop the body he had been holding to close, clinging to. He drew out his gun. "_We'll fight then, not like savages, like humans. We'll see how much of a beast you've become_!"

"_I don't think so_," I stared down at the body that was laying in the drying mud, and shook my head. "_How dare you treat a territory in such a way_?"

Then, I felt it.

It hit my heart, but I felt no pain.

I must not be human, I can be shot in the heart and a thousand times elsewhere and feel nothing. No, I was human, because I bled...because I breathed that cold night air. Because, I was alive.

* * *

><p>I woke up in my own bed, trembling a bit as I tried to lift my limbs.<p>

"Dad," I turned my head just a bit, just to see my daughter kneeling at my side. "Don't move so much, you'll hurt yourself." She gave me a comforting smile before wiping my head with a cold cloth.

Had all of this truly been for nothing? Did I let my people die for a sick little country such as he? "Where...

I saw her head raise as I spoke, staring up at the ceiling.

"Where is Oublie?"

She looked confused, and then I saw her facial expression completely change. She wasn't angry? Does she not know what I've done to him? "Oublie," she started. "He went home with France after I fixed him up."

I watched as she plunged the cloth in a bucket of water, ringing it out a few seconds afterwards. "Back...with France?"

"You really did a number on him, Keenan." Her eyes met mine as my head turned to her. "You could have killed him, you know. Sometimes I have to wonder who the superhuman is on this island."

Her giggle, she was trying to wish everything away. She was trying to pretend none of this had ever happened, that it was all a dream. I could see it in the expression reflected off of her eyes. "And you aren't angry?"

"Of course not," She replied in a calm tone. "You're only trying to protect our people, your land."

"No," I sighed, looking back to the ceiling. "My daughter, your land. Not mine."

"You are the leader, which makes this your land, Dad."

"It does not belong to me, it belongs to you, and it belongs to the people. All I do is make sure this little island does not turn into the wrong direction."

I watched her shake her head, the smile still very evident under her bangs as she let her head hang. "But you still have power over this land and it's people."

"Don't say that." I grunted as I sat up slowly. "You'll give me a power rush, then I might go mad and start to go crazy."

She smiled as I slowly pushed myself to the edge of my bed. "You're healing so quickly, Dad."

"I have to...if I want to keep my job."

"I'm sure no one will take your job from you, father." She stood, walking to me. "I wouldn't let them if they tried." She leaned over and kissed my head.

I had to smile, she was so sweet. She took care of me when I did wrong and she kept me in line when I thought I would go insane from the stress of my job. She kept my hair from going grey. Poor girl, she's suffered so much and she still only looks out for others.

* * *

><p>I often feel guilty, because I'm sure there was something I could have done to prevent this from happening. I could have convinced her that this was the way things are, this is how they'll stay. I doubt it would have done me any good, I'd only be wasting lines. The love she had for her brother, was too strong. She care about nothing but getting him away from France. She wanted him to be home, where she knew he was safe.<p>

She was injured now, and it was my own fault.

"Anya," I smiled as her eyes fluttered open. It was such a different scenery to me, I was kneeling by her side, wiping her wounds. I was so used to it being the other way around, I almost couldn't tell where I was from this point of view. "you're awake, I'm so glad to see you."

She looked at me blankly, her brows lowered, quivering. Her voice was barely a voice at all, it was hoarse, and only parts of words could be hear. "Wh...re..is O..by...?"

My smile slowly faded, I couldn't keep it there as badly as I wanted to, just to give her a bit of comfort. Just to let her know that no matter what, everything would be alright. With or without Oublie. "He's...still with France, brea."

I saw her cringe, and her head slowly turned back towards the ceiling as she sat up.

"Anya, please be careful...your bandages might come lose if you...move too much."

"Bandages...?"

I nodded, maybe I shouldn't have said anything, looking back, I know I shouldn't have. "He...was aiming to kill you, last night." I paused as she took in a deep breath. "...if I hadn't shown up when I did, Talamh would be in chaos at the loss of their dear country. But you were half dead when I arrived, so it will take several days for you to heal."

"I can't be in this condition, not with this war...no." She turned her head, a desperate look in her eyes.

What could I possibly do for her...? "I'm keeping you in my home, just until you're better."

Her eyes closed lightly, she let herself slowly lean back down under the blankets. She looked like she was in pain as she sobbed, which broke my heart...because I'd eventually have to tell her the truth.

I kissed her forehead, wiping the tears from her face, and then I blessed the hills behind her home, where her brother took his very last breath.

"_Bealtaine ardú suas an bóthar chun bualadh leat._

_Bealtaine an ghaoth a bheith i gcónaí ag do chúl._

_Féadfaidh an Shine ghrian te ar d'aghaidh;_

_Titim an bháisteach bog ar do réimsí_

_Agus go dtí le chéile againn arís,_

_Bealtaine Dia agat_

_I toll a lámh._"

* * *

><p><em>May the road rise up to meet you.<em>

_May the wind be always at your back._

_May the sun shine warm upon your face;_

_The rains fall soft upon your fields_

_And until we meet again,_

_May God hold you_

_In the hollow of his hand..._


End file.
